弁 (biàn) - ancient ceremonial cap & to hasten

弁Tone 4

biàn ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 厶

傲不

弁 · biàn

ancient ceremonial cap;

to hasten;

to be quick;

in Japanese, refers to a loop, bow, or a type of food (e.

g.

, oden).

ancient ceremonial capto hastento be quick

Usage highlights

ceremonial capto hasten/to be quickBento boxvalvespeechargument

Synonyms

  • 帽— hat, cap
  • 急— urgent, quick

Antonyms

  • 緩— slow, relaxed
  • 遅— late, slow

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He wore a ceremonial cap (弁冠) in the ritual.
  • Please handle this matter quickly (弁える).
  • Bento box (弁当) is a popular Japanese lunch.
  • The valve (弁) controls the flow of fluid.

Collocations

  • ceremonial cap(弁冠)
  • to hasten/to be quick(弁える)
  • Bento box(弁当)
  • valve(弁)
  • speech(弁舌)
  • argument(弁論)

Idioms

  • Eloquent speech(弁舌さわやか)
  • Valve mechanism(弁機構)
  • Guardian role(弁護的役割)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to a type of ceremonial cap worn by nobles in ancient China.
  • In Japanese, it has multiple meanings including loop, bow, valve, and is part of words like 'bento' (弁当).
  • Used in legal and rhetorical contexts in compound words meaning 'defense' or 'argument'.

FAQ